New ETL

[Dakets]

As an incoming ETL-HR, what would you like me to know?

For reference: I am coming in as an HR from another retail company with over a decade of management experience. The degree doesn't matter, though I have one and I am working on another. We all know that's just window dressing. I've worked as a cashier, as an online ordering shopper, as a logistics and ordering person. I know retail is hard and I know the hours suck.

But aside from the travails of retail work, what should I know going in, as someone who is new to Target as a company?

Thanks.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Support your team and show they care (free food always helps). If a ™ comes to you with a concern, listen and help. The fact that you’re asking how to be best shows you’re probably leagues ahead of most. Learn the registers, GS so you can help if it gets desperate.

 

[Dakets]

Honestly I love to be on the floor. My company prefers HR's to be in the office doing hiring and interviews, and my only consistent complaint from them is that I spend too much time helping direct traffic flow and assisting customers. I'd much rather be with people than fiddling away on my computer.

I build and play with computers as a hobby at home. I really don't need to spend my workday doing the same thing!

 

[Dakets]

@Amanda Cantwell as an honest question, would it be a nice move to personally buy a lunch for my new team when I'm placed? I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap but a few hundred bucks to introduce myself wouldn't be unreasonable.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

@Amanda Cantwell as an honest question, would it be a nice move to personally buy a lunch for my new team when I'm placed? I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap but a few hundred bucks to introduce myself wouldn't be unreasonable.

Target gives you a budget for fun events like free food! Talk with the existing HR TMs in your store!

 

[GMTM]

Try to introduce yourself to all TMs, openers, mids, closers, overnights (if your store has them). Always good to put a name/voice with a face.

Free food is great! But perhaps plan it so there’s something left for closers? I’m our store day crew gets the fresh sandwiches/pizza/ice cream/taco bar and closers get left with a disgusting break room and few, if any leftovers.

 

[Rarejem]

Try to introduce yourself to all TMs, openers, mids, closers, overnights (if your store has them). Always good to put a name/voice with a face.

Free food is great! But perhaps plan it so there’s something left for closers? I’m our store day crew gets the fresh sandwiches/pizza/ice cream/taco bar and closers get left with a disgusting break room and few, if any leftovers.

At our store it is planned for weekenders. Yeah. Switch it up. It was really nice when there was always a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, bottled water, and some choices of jelly. There are a lot of people for whom that is the meal of the day.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Search our threads. You need to get trained first with spot's policy & mindset. Your job is not an easy one. The few folks in your other thread are former etl's have great advice.
Every store is different.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

From another thread:
I have seen 9 ETL HR come through my store - 3 left Target, 2 transferred, 2 were fired, 1 was a temporary fill-in between a fire and a hire, one currently in role.
The worst of them: acted immature, played favorites, talked to tm’s about other tm’s, micro-managed, never left their office, always put you off (not now to any question), outwardly disagreed with SD, pretended to know what they didn’t, never addressed concerns to improve anything, weren’t approachable,
The one/two decent ones : kept confidentiality, treated all equally, listened and made improvements/addressed concerns, walked the salesfloor and talked to tm’s (even pitched in a little), Knew their stuff/had answers, smiled, not overly demanding (Remember we all answer to other chiefs).
Thanks
@Far from newbie

 

[Tangled]

As an incoming ETL-HR, what would you like me to know?

Over the years I worked at Target on the Sales Floor, as a Groceries FA, as Front End GSA, and now, well I have no clue what I am anymore, one thing stands out: We all wonder where ETL’s hide. Why, when we see them, they just walk by as if we are a fixture saying nothing, not even a glance of recognition. (We can stand in their way and some still don’t greet us.) Why don’t they know our names especially when its worn on our shirts? If they do stop to recognize us, their canned talking points is not only easily recognized, and despised because it is NOT sincere, a canned talking point does not adequately answer our inquiry, “Hi, how are you today?” (Interpretation: Are you real or are you a store mannequin?)

 

[NKG]

Target gives you a budget for fun events like free food! Talk with the existing HR TMs in your store!

My store hasn't seen food since coronavirus started. "Its not safe"

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

My store hasn't seen food since coronavirus started. "Its not safe"

Mine has had some prepackaged snacks and ice cream but definitely not like pizza

 

[Planosss]

Mine has had some prepackaged snacks and ice cream but definitely not like pizza

You can buy your own pizza.

 

[BurgerBob]

At our store it is planned for weekenders. Yeah. Switch it up. It was really nice when there was always a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, bottled water, and some choices of jelly. There are a lot of people for whom that is the meal of the day.

I've lived off the breakroom foods before when i had to choose rent or food . That table was a savior.

 

[BurgerBob]

I've had our sd jump on register in tech when they were walking by and saw me alone, slammed. I didn't ask he just said, I'll ring you talk to people. So i did.

 

[Dakets]

These are good tips, thanks everyone. I make it a point to get to know people and to help in the trenches, so I'm glad to see those keep coming up. A good point about food during COVID. Guess it'd need to be pre-packaged or something along those lines.

 

[BurgerBob]

These are good tips, thanks everyone. I make it a point to get to know people and to help in the trenches, so I'm glad to see those keep coming up. A good point about food during COVID. Guess it'd need to be pre-packaged or something along those lines.

For food? We do individual bags of cheezits, cereal, poptarts, cookies, granola bars. Water ice cream emergen c packets tea cough drops. It's really made my day sometimes.

 

[BurgerBob]

also give your departments a candy stash

 

[Far from newbie]

Our HR was always very good about a party per week: cake day, pizza day, sub day, Breakfast day, cook-outs on the grill, extra lunch stuff available.
Since the Covid-19 put an end to ‘shared‘ food - they have been VERY generous with individual serving size foods.
There has been a daily spread of single serve food and drinks in our break room, nearly a carriage full per day - Half Stocked in the morning, the balance left out late afternoon for the night team. I hope the team appreciates it cause they wipe it out every day. I don’t know how much they spend but I would Not be surprised if it’s A thousand per month.

 

[Zxy123456]

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My store hasn't seen food since coronavirus started. "Its not safe"
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My store hasn't seen food since coronavirus started. "Its not safe"

et lots of snacks but, they must be individually wrapped granola bars, little bags of chips etc...

 

[NKG]

You can buy your own pizza.

How so?

 

[Planosss]

How so?

By , paying for it.

 

[NKG]

By , paying for it.

Pizza hut is closed

 

[Planosss]

Pizza hut is closed

Dominos is not. They deliver, also digerno.

 

[NKG]

Dominos is not. They deliver, also digerno.

I'm not buying a $13 pizza during a pandemic